In cell biology cell growth examinations are often carried out in that a carrier material, such as for example, a collagen gel such as the BD Matrigel from Becton, Dickinson and Company is placed into indentations on 96-well, 48-well or 24-well plates. This type of carrier material is generally also known as a matrix.
On a matrix of this nature for example cells which form blood vessels, e.g. Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC), are then distributed. After a certain time (e.g. hours or days) the cells then indicate a characteristic, mesh-type structure, which shows that the cells are able to form, for example blood vessels. The cell structures are then, for example, examined with microscopes, preferably with phase contrast.
Examinations of this nature are in particular used in tumour research, wherein the objective is to inhibit the formation of new blood vessels through pharmacological and biotechnological methods and substances, thus preventing tumour growth. Since tumours, due to their strong growth, have a very high requirement of blood gases and nutrients, their growth is especially dependent on a good supply of these. Therefore, cell growth can be restricted by preventing the blood vessel formation.
If during cell growth examinations the indentations in conventional well plates are partly filled with appropriate carrier materials, a surface of the carrier material is obtained at a corresponding level of each of the indentations. Due to surface tension effects the shape of the surface cannot be determined beforehand. Since the growth of the cells then placed in a culture medium is affected by the surface geometry of the carrier material, it takes place uncontrollably. The unknown surface geometry and the uncontrolled cell growth also make the following microscopic examinations more difficult.